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For years, I’ve envied my fellow American bloggers as I read reviews of their monthly clothing subscription boxes.I’ve stalked their websites, hoping that one day these boxes would ship to Canada too. Therefore, you can imagine my delight when I recently discovered a clothing subscription box based out of Canada!

Frock Box was founded by three moms in St. Albert, Alberta, who also recognized the lack of clothing subscription services for Canadians. Since launching one box in 2015, they now offer three monthly subscription boxes, and have subscribers from ages 14 to 88! While they built the idea on the convenience of having clothing show up on your doorstep every month (which I’m sure any busy mom would appreciate), for me, I love that it introduces me to brands and styles that I wouldn’t necessarily get to buy locally. I live in a teeny, tiny town where shopping options are sorely limited. And while I could travel 2 hours to the city or order clothes online, this is way more convenient!

How Does Frock Box Work?

Frock Box offers three subscription boxes:

• Frock Box Jewel – one piece of jewelry from a Canadian designer ($29.95 monthly)
• Frock Box Gold – one full outfit chosen for you by your stylist ($59.95 monthly)
• Frock Box Favourites – five pieces of clothing chosen for you by your stylist, where each piece is priced individually and you pay for what you keep ($24.95 monthly, which goes towards the cost of any items you keep)

February 2019 Frock Box Favourites Box

Today I am going to review the Frock Box Favourites box. For transparency purposes, I am a “Frock Box Influencer” which means that I received compensation in exchange for a review.

When you sign up for the Frock Box Favourites box, you choose your clothing sizes (top, bottom, shoes, bra size). They also ask for any celebrity style inspiration, likes and dislikes, as well as a link to your Pinterest profile (if you have one). At this time, I took a look through my Pinterest board to ensure that it reflected my current style preferences. I also created a separate “Frock Box” board where I could re-pin items from their collections as they posted them to Pinterest.

Kaylee is my assigned stylist, and she did an excellent job choosing items for my first box! I was a bit hesitant, of course, but I really liked everything I received. I think it’s important to be as specific as you can on your style profile so they can really grasp what you like and dislike.

My box took approximately 2 weeks to arrive in Newfoundland. It was delayed due to weather, but thankfully Frock Box provides tracking on their boxes. Also, you get free shipping with the Frock Box Favourites box! There is nothing more I hate than having to pay expensive shipping fees, so I really appreciated this.

What I Received in my Box

My February 2019 box included two sweaters (a zip-up and a heavy cardigan), a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a pair of booties. If you decide to keep all five items in your box, you receive a 25% discount on the entire order. Had I kept everything, my box would have cost me $227 + tax (total merchandise value of $336.98).

Lara Cozy Zip Up Sweater | I was so excited to see this in my bag because I’m obsessed with sherpa sweaters! The fabric is super soft and cozy, but I didn’t love the fit of it. I selected “Medium” as my top size but I’ve since gone and changed it to “Small”. This was just slightly too big but otherwise, I loved it! It was also listed as 50% off on my order sheet, as part of the winter clearance event. Price: $59 – 50%. Verdict: Return, but I would have kept it if it fit better.

Baciano Sophie Embroidered Jacket | Upon taking this beautiful blue-grey cardigan out of the bag, I knew it was way too big. While it is meant to have an oversized cardigan fit, it was huge across my shoulders. It’s incredibly heavy (in fact, they describe it as a “jacket”) and the pattern is beautiful. However, it’s also quite pricey and personally, outside of my price range for a sweater. Price: $99.99. Verdict: Return, due to size and price!

Just USA Mid Rise Skinny Jean | I struggle to find jeans that fit me as I’m short but curvy. Theses are a size 6 and fit perfectly in the waist, but were several inches too long. Despite the fact that I’m used to wearing jeggings, these jeans were actually quite comfortable. Price: $74.99. Verdict: Return, too long!

“Excuse Me I Have To Go Be Awesome” V-Neck Tee | I immediately loved this black v-neck with the retro “Hello Sunshine” pocket. My dad’s nickname for me is “Sunshine” and I practically live in black v-necks. The fabric is incredibly soft and I loved the slightly oversized fit. However, I think I’m going to return this one only because I really want to get some new styles, and I also have a ton of black v-neck tees. Price: $29.00. Verdict: Return, but loved it!

Tiara Los Angeles Mika Ankle Boots | I fell in love with these booties from the moment I seen them. And apparently, so did everyone on my Instagram page! Honestly, I had more people message me asking me about these boots than anything else, ever! These are a 5.5 and while I am normally a 5, they fit quite comfortably. For short periods of time, they are also very comfortable to wear. After a few hours of walking in these, my feet were killing me but I’m just going to put some insoles in them. I’ve gotten so many compliments on these booties that I couldn’t not keep them! Price: $74.00. Verdict: Keep!!

Returning The Items

With the Frock Box Favourites box, all you have to do is re-seal the package and apply the free return shipping label! There is also an enclosed paper to provide feedback to your stylist (or you can email them if you prefer). For each item, you select whether you are keeping or returning, and how you like (or dislike) the size/fit as well as the style. There is also an area to leave comments next to each item. Therefore, with each additional box, your stylist learns more about what you want to receive!

As I stated above, the $24.95 styling fee goes towards the cost of any items you keep. Therefore, in my case, the $74 shoes would cost me $74 – $24.95 that I paid before the box shipped = $49.05 difference. The only way you would lose out on your $24.95 styling fee is if you don’t keep anything in the box.

Overall Impressions of the Frock Box

This is probably my new favourite subscription box, and that’s coming from a subscription box addict! I love the convenience of having clothes arrive at my door. I can try it on in the comfort of my own home, paired with items that I already own. Plus, it’s so easy with free shipping and returns!

The only downside of the box for me is the price of some items. However, you can select your price range when creating your profile. I’m just normally a thrifty/budget shopper, so I hate to spend a lot of money on any one item! I will definitely continue subscribing to Frock Box for the time being, though. It’s a great way to gradually introduce new items to my closet.

Get a Free Month of Frock Box!

If you are interested in signing up, head over to Frockbox and use code “JANINE” to get your $24.95 stylist fee waived for the first month! That’s right – you can sign up for free and only pay for what you decide to keep! If you don’t keep anything, you can return it all for free! It’s a win-win situation!

Frockbox offers clothing in sizes small to 3XL, so there really is something for everyone! Let me know if you sign up because I’d love to hear what you receive in your box.

Mary Kay Illuminating Drops Review

Mary Kay graciously sent me a box of goodies from their spring line, so expect to see some posts highlighting those products in the next little while! Speaking of highlighting, one of their awesome new items is the limited edition Illuminating Drops*. I’ve been super into higlighted, dewy-looking skin lately, so naturally I couldn’t wait to try these.

Liquid highlighters have been on the market for a while, but these are not to be overlooked. The Mary Kay Illuminating Drops are available in three shades: Silver Sand, Golden Horizon, and Bronze Light.

L-R: Silver Sands, Golden Horizon, Bronze Light

Silver Sand: a pale champagne-pink that is perfect for light skintones

Golden Horizon: a golden glow, ideal for tanned skin

Bronze Light: sunkissed bronze, best for medium to dark skintones

While all three shades are gorgeous, Silver Sand is best suited to my pale skin. Golden Horizon is definitely wearable but Bronze Light is a bit too dark for me personally. Keep in mind that the swatches above are simply that – a swatch. The colors are much more wearable when blended into the skin!

The Mary Kay Illuminating Drops can be worn on bare skin or mixed with your foundation or moisturizer for an eye-catching glow. You could also use them as a traditional highlighter above your foundation on your cheekbones, cupids bow, or collarbones. Personally, I’ve been loving them mixed into my foundation. With spring around the corner, I am looking for ways to “glow up”!

Do you prefer liquid or powder highlighter? Leave a comment below!

* PR samples provided for review; all thoughts & opinions are my own!

Recent Purchases Volume 1

I’m obsessed with shopping hauls. Watching others, doing my own, etc. I love knowing what other people are buying! Do you feel the same way? I decided to start a “Recent Purchases” feature of my own. Initially I was going to post it as monthly purchases, but some months I shop very little. Typically January is one of those months but not this year! While I normally cut back after the holidays, there were a few items that I felt like I “needed” to start my year right.

Clothing

The first of those items was new jeans. For the most part, I only wear American Eagle denim. It’s easily accessible, relatively affordable, and comes in a short length. After discovering that I’ve worn a hole in the thigh area of one of my favourite pairs, I decided to order another pair to replace it. And because American Eagle was offering a “buy one, get one 50% off” sale, I actually bought two pairs.

The light wash pair is a little lighter than I anticipated (as a rule, I prefer a medium-dark wash) but they will be great for summer. Both pairs are slightly smaller and higher waisted than my current pairs, despite being the same style/size, which is a bit annoying.

I also stopped by the thrift store this month and walked away with some new shirts and a jean jacket. I got two shirts, two cardigans, a jean jacket and three plates (that match our current set of dishes) for $17.75. I didn’t “need” any of those things but a) I live in cardigans, and b) I figure it’s better to spend $5 on a denim jacket that I may never wear than $50.

I received a gift card from Dynamite for Christmas and my original plan to hold onto it until spring. However, I caved and placed an order once I seen these pants pop up in the new arrivals section. To qualify for free shipping, I also bought this shirt that I had tried on in-store before Christmas. It’s not a color I would have ever chosen for myself but I really liked it.

Shoes

In January I bought three new pairs of shoes which is more than I typically buy in a year. I found a pair of potential wedding shoes on ASOS but they went out of stock before I could purchase them. While shopping at Payless a few days later, I found another pair that I really liked. Payless had 40% off the entire store at the time so I ended up buying those (which cost me a whopping $11 as they were on clearance) plus a pair of wedges. Later, the ASOS pair came back in stock (just one pair!) IN MY SIZE, so of course I jumped on that purchase (not shown as they haven’t arrived yet).

Health & Beauty

After falling in love with the Peppermint Halo from Saje (as discussed here), I couldn’t resist picking up the “Pocket Farmacy” during their 30% off sale. I can’t wait to test out all the new products – hopefully they work as well as the headache relief!

I’m making an effort this year to only buy beauty products that need replacing. Honestly, I have enough lipstick, eyeshadow and blush in my collection that I would never need to repurchase it in my life. However, I ran out of my favourite eyebrow pencil so I had to replace that. This eye cream caught my eye and because I don’t have a holy-grail eye cream, I snuck that into my cart as well. Luckily I had a gift card from Christmas so I didn’t pay much out of pocket!

I picked up a new Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Lipstick in the shade “Romantic” after seeing it on Sydney Hoffman’s Instagram stories (I know.. I just said I didn’t need anymore lipstick…). It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day and I love the formula of those lipsticks! I also grabbed a Sooae Unicorn Glow Hologram Mask while I was at Walmart.

Finally, I snagged the L’Oreal Infallible Concealer at Walmart when the light colors finally came back in stock. I’m nearly out of my holy grail concealer and this is supposedly a dupe. Perhaps I’ll dedicate a future blog post to that!

We’ve also bought a lot of wedding stuff recently, including my wedding band, Jordan’s wedding band, stamps for our invitations, gifts for the bridesmaids, candy bags, and more. I can’t believe it’s so soon and I’m kind of freaking out a bit.

What have you purchased recently? Leave me a comment below!

Valentine's Day Gifts Under $50

This post contains affiliate links.

I’m one of those people who love Valentine’s Day. I love pink and red, heart-shaped anything, and any excuse to buy a gift for friends or a loved one. Yes, it’s super commercialized and unnecessary but so what? I LOVE love and I don’t care how cheesy that is!

With the wedding coming up this year, we are cutting corners and therefore, gifting on a budget. Honestly I figured we would skip the gift-giving this year and just go for a nice meal but Jordan loves buying gifts. That being said, he had no ideas this year aside from a new tattoo which would have been way over the budget. Therefore, I started thinking about gifts I would like and figured I would share them with you guys too!

7 Valentine’s Day Gifts Under $50

1. Figgyduff Dory “Brazen” Beanie | I wanted both the “Brazen” sweatshirt and the beanie as soon as I seen the sneak peak on Instagram. I’m kind of obsessed with everything hot pink at the moment, plus I can be totally brazen myself on occasion. The sweatshirt is over $50 but the beanie is a super cute pink and affordable gift. In fact, Jordan actually bought this one for me! (Bonus: Figgyduff Dory is local and I love when I can support local brands!)
2. LUSH “The Joy of Six” Gift Set | Nothing says romance like a box full of bath bombs, massage bars and naked shower gel. This one contains six sensual products and comes in just under budget!
3. Chrissy Teigen’s “Cravings: Hungry For More” Cookbook | I realize that not everyone would want a cookbook as a gift, but it’s definitely on my wishlist! I’ve heard nothing but awesome reviews of this particular cookbook. Plus, the idea of picking out recipes to cook and eat together is totally romantic.. right?
4. Let’s Avocuddle Mug | I’m a collector of mugs and this one is super cute! Pair this with a bag of high-quality coffee (my personal fave) and you’ve got an easy and practical gift!
5. Kate Spade iPhone Case | This case is cute, girly and perfect for spring! Plus it’s 50% off right now!
6. YSL Heart & Arrow Collector Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick | Is this one sole lipstick worth $45? Maybe not. But maybe if you’re like me and you appreciate a high-end product with adorable limited edition packaging. This is actually one of my favourite lipstick formulas ever! Super pigmented, comfortable to wear and it smells delicious. It looks glossy but stains the lips so that even when it wears off, it leaves some color behind! This may seem steep for one item but I promise that a beauty junkie would love it.
7. Squish “I <3 You More Than Candy” Jumbo Mix | You literally cannot go wrong by giving me candy, ever. Unless it’s black liquorice. I am a candy addict and would probably squeal if I opened this gift. Same goes for chocolate covered strawberries. Anytime, any occasion.

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Let me know in the comments below!

FabFitFun Winter 2018 Subscription Box Review

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you click and/or purchase through the links.

What is FabFitFun?

FabFitFun is a quarterly subscription box that features a mix of lifestyle, beauty, fashion, fitness, and wellness products. Each box costs $49.99 US + $8 shipping to Canada (free shipping to the US) and contains over $200 worth of product. FabFitFun gifts full size products which is a big reason why I love it! I don’t know about you, but I definitely have more than enough sample-size items kicking around.

You can read my review of the Fall 2018 subscription box here. If you want to subscribe to FabFitFun, click this link and use code “FIRSTBOX” for $10 off your first quarterly box!

Winter 2018 FabFitFun Box

This has been my favourite FabFitFun box yet! While it was heavy on the beauty/skincare products, I was a-okay with that.

Moroccan Gold Series Argan Hair Mask ($49)

I’ve used this a couple times and while I’m not fussy on the scent, I do think it’s a good hair mask. It is incredibly thick but doesn’t leave my fine, thin hair weighed down or greasy.

Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo ($44)

Oribe is all the rage around here lately and I was shocked to receive the full size dry shampoo in this box! I definitely wouldn’t pay this price tag personally as I feel there are much more affordable options that work just as well. However, it smells nice and does the job.

Sherrie Matthews Acupuncture Jade Stone Roller ($45)

I was able to select this product in my box and I decided to go for it because I was curious. Again, there are cheaper options available. I’m not sure that it does all that it claims, however it is said to aid in reducing the appearance of fine lines, reducing inflammation and puffiness, improving skin tone and lymphatic drainage. It feels nice and cooling on the skin so I will definitely continue using it.

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in “Meringue” ($26)

Nothing better than receiving one of my favourite lip brands in my box! If you haven’t tried the Bite Amuse Bouch lipsticks, you’re missing out. The shade “Meringue” is described as a “peachy neutral” and is super flattering. Not exactly a “winter” shade but I’ll still get lots of use from it.

Thrive Cosmetics Briliant Eye Brightener in “Stella” ($24)

While this is a very pretty highlight, I haven’t found myself reaching for it. As a rule, I typically just put a bit of eyeshadow in the inner corners of my eyes as a highlight.

Blaq Eye Masks with Hyaluronic Acid ($29)

I tried these out for the first time a couple weeks ago. They were quite slippery and difficult to apply but once they were on my skin, they adhered fairly well. They felt really cool and my undereye area did appear less puffy after!

AHAVA Hydration Cream Mask ($33)

I first tried AHAVA many, many years ago in a different subscription box. I really like both products that I’ve tried from them. You can leave this mask on for 10-15 minutes then rinse off, or you can leave it on overnight. I’ve been leaving it on overnight as my skin is really dry in the winter. It’s non-greasy and leaves me feeling hydrated by morning!

WAY OF WILL Elevate Essential Oil Set: Sweet Orange Oil & Eucalyptus Oil ($31)

Essential oils frighten me a little bit. I want to diffuse them but I’m also afraid due to their toxicity to animals. I haven’t tried to use these in any other way yet, but I may pick up some dryer balls to pair with these.

Mark & Graham Colorblock Throw ($49)

This is no longer available on the Mark & Graham website, but who doesn’t love an extra throw? I would have preferred to get this in the grey color as brown doesn’t match our color scheme right now, but I will hold onto it and likely re-gift it.

Don’t forget to click this link and use code “FIRSTBOX” for $10 off your first quarterly box!

January 2019 Favourites

Much like Kerri, I miss the way blogging used to be. Don’t get me wrong – I love learning about blogging, I love that you can now earn a living from your blog, and I love all the advancements that have been made in blogging. However, I miss the days of feeling like a close-knit community. I miss when I didn’t feel the need to write “perfectly” or share only the prettiest, most curated images.

I want to bring back the joy in blogging. Recently, I discovered the blog Coming Up Roses and fell in love. I love how Erica writes like she’s talking to you as a friend. It’s so refreshing to read something that doesn’t sound like a magazine article for a change.

In any event, one of my favourite things to do is share my favourite things with you. I wish I could be like Oprah and just buy everyone my favourite things but unfortunately my wallet would run away screaming. Therefore, I’m bringing back my current obsessions post. Without further rambling..

January 2019 Obsessions

Krista’s Vlogs | You may know Krista from her super popular fashion & lifestyle blog, Covering the Bases. Recently, Krista has started uploading daily vlogs from Monday to Friday. I’ve always been a fan of hers but honestly, her vlogs make her seem so relatable. Plus I love all the snippets of life in New York City!

Saje Peppermint Halo | I put this in Jordan’s stocking at Christmas but I’ve been using it myself! While it doesn’t take away my headache, it definitely eases the pain and makes it much more bearable until the pills kick in. It has such a cooling sensation that it totally distracts me from the pain as well.

Smart WiFi Plug | Jordan gifted me this for Christmas because I am famous for leaving my hair straightener turned on. Honestly, 90% of the time when we leave the house, I find myself pondering if I shut it off or not. Thanks to this plug, I can shut it off via an app on my phone. Eases my mind and bonus: it’s super affordable too!

Line a Day Journal | This is actually my second 365-day 5-year journal. I ended up quitting on my first one a few years ago but I’m currently into my second year on this one. It’s so fun to look back and see what I was doing on each particular day last year & how it compares to this year.

Pixi Glow Tonic* | I don’t know this works but I swear it makes my skin look better. It makes my skin brighter, smoother and virtually diminished a pimple overnight!

Quartz “Elia” Jacket | I received this as a Christmas gift to replace my Canada Goose jacket. Prior to choosing this jacket, I did a lot of research comparing the two brands. I’m happy to report that this is just as good if not better than the Canada Goose jacket I had in terms of warmth. I’m 100% happy with my choice and the fact that it’s Canadian-made is a bonus.

Blogging | Ok, this one is a little cheesy but seriously, I’m really enjoying blogging right now. I’m seeing a big increase in my site traffic, making a little bit of money (finally!), and enjoying some really awesome PR partnerships. Looking forward to growing even more this year!

What are your favourites for the month of January? Leave a comment below!

* PR product provided; all thoughts and opinion are my own as always!